In an unexpected move Monday, Marine Lt. Gen. James Mattis, the
head of Marine forces in Iraq, lopped off the remaining few months
of brig time faced by two junior Marines who pleaded guilty to a
plot to kidnap and kill an Iraqi. Each served about 15 months in
jail.

Eight Camp Pendleton troops have either pleaded guilty to or
were found guilty of taking part in a plot to drag an Iraqi man
from his home, shoot him to death and then frame him as an
insurgent in the rural village of Hamdania on April 26, 2006.

Sentences for the eight men, particularly those reached by
juries, varied widely. Some were sentenced to time already served
and released. Others pleaded guilty in exchange for sentences
ranging from one to eight years.

The heaviest punishment came last week, when a jury convicted
the squad leader, Sgt. Lawrence Hutchins III, of murder and
sentenced him to 15 years. It was the first time a Marine has been
convicted of murdering an Iraqi civilian since the U.S. invaded
that county in 2003.

Mattis, who can shorten sentences but not increase them, freed
Pvts. Jerry Shumate Jr., 21, and Tyler Jackson, 23, out of a sense
of fairness, a military spokesman said Tuesday. Formerly both lance
corporals, each was reduced in rank and serving a 21-month
sentence.

"He (Mattis) balanced many factors to include their military
experience, relative rank and position of authority and their
specific involvement in the death of the Iraqi man as it was
determined through the military legal process," Lt. Col. Sean
Gibson wrote in response to questions about Mattis' decision.

The early releases this week mean six of the eight troops who
participated in the plot have been freed from jail.

Gibson said the general is also considering shaving the
sentences of Hutchins and Pvt. Robert Pennington, who is serving
eight years.

Pennington, who said he did not shoot the victim but stood guard
while his buddies yanked the man out of bed, pleaded guilty in
February to reduced charges in exchange for an eight-year sentence.
He was the last of the men to plead guilty, and he agreed to a
sentence four times longer than the men who took plea deals before
him.

Reached at his Georgia offices Tuesday, Hutchins' attorney, Rich
Brannon, declined to comment about the potential that his client's
sentence could be reduced. The family of the 23-year-old
Massachusetts native could not be reached for comment, but Brannon
said Monday that they were meeting with Mattis to lobby for
leniency.

Pennington's attorney, Carlsbad-based retired Brig. Gen. David
Brahms, also declined comment Tuesday about efforts to have him
freed early.

Pennington's mother said her family is "cautiously hopeful" his
sentenced will be slashed.

"We have been praying for this for a long time," Deanna
Pennington said.

Shumate's family could not be reached for comment.

Jackson's mother, Terri, said she and her family are thrilled
about the release of her son. They are heading to Camp Pendleton
this weekend to see him, she said. The last time the family saw him
outside the brig was before his departure to Iraq in January
2006.

"We are very happy that he is out," Terri Jackson said from her
home in Tracy, "and we can't wait to have him home."

Juries for the three Marines who took their cases to trial were
made up entirely of Iraq war veterans, including some who earned
awards for valor. Most of the panel members belonged to infantry
battalions.

During the trials, Marines' testimony underscored the
constraints of men in a war where insurgents hide among civilians
and roadside bombs are the biggest killer of U.S. troops.

The eight men were on a mission to catch anyone planting
roadside bombs on the night they crafted a plan to kill an
Iraqi.

According to testimony, the eight squad mates were frustrated by
an inability to keep Hamdania's lead insurgent from repeatedly
being released from custody. They also began taking their cues from
platoon and battalion leaders, who beat Iraqi detainees, according
to testimony.

The squad was also viewed as soft, and was under pressure to be
more aggressive with Iraqis.